Three Days
by gossip stone
Summary: A series of drabbles/ oneshots focusing on the characters of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Rated K  for language, and that's about it.
1. Cremia's Thoughts

Author's Note: Well, hello! This is my second fanfiction thing. Basically, it's gonna be a series of oneshots/ drabbles. Pretty much all of them are going to be possibly-canon (no more crackfics xD), so no need to worry about anything weird happening. If you have a suggestion/ request (if anyone's even reading this, lol) feel free to drop me a line. ^^ I'm open to writing about pretty much anything. I'm not entirely sure how long this will be- when I run out of ideas, I'm just gonna stop writing. As always, reviews/ constructive criticism are welcome. Please no flames!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda or any of the characters in it. They belong to Nintendo.

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><p>Cremia really wished they would stop coming to her. It was already hard enough, knowing that he had disappeared without a word to either her or his fiancée.<p>

Now she had to see his face on those damn masks about five times a week.

She had really thought she'd seen the last of them until a young boy clothed in green had appeared three days before the Carnival of Time, wearing the eyeless mask. Trying to keep her temper in check, Cremia had said stiffly, "Ah… You. Did some middle-aged woman put you to work? Kafei isn't here…" The boy took off the mask and looked at her with a surprisingly serious face. He had to be around the same age as her younger sister, Romani, but she still acted like a five year old. He nodded curtly to her and continued up the path to the rest of the ranch, a small little ball of light with wings following him.

Cremia resumed milking the cow in front of her, thinking hard. She felt a pang of sympathy for her poor friend, Anju. Anju loved Kafei so much, yet he had disappeared from her. He hadn't even left her a letter. _Who the hell does that?_ She thought, suddenly furious about the pain Anju was undoubtedly going through. _Kafei, you jerk. You left all of us in the lurch, and now…_

She paused, glancing up at the moon hanging ominously over the ranch. _Three more days…_ whispered a voice in her head. She looked back down, shaking her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

_I just won't think about it,_ she decided._ The next time I go into town… I'll talk with Anju. I'll tell her… I'll tell her I would never, ever do anything to split her and Kafei up. Those old hags in town need to watch their mouths. I would _never_ do that to a friend!_ She punctuated this last thought with a sharp squeeze of her fist, and the cow gave a startled yelp. "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," she cooed, rubbing its side gently. After settling the cow down, she gathered up her milk buckets and trekked towards the barn.

_I wonder, though… Would he come here? Would he leave Anju for me?_ She was so engrossed in her thoughts she almost tripped over a small rock in the path.

_Ah, _she admonished herself. _Don't think about it. You and Kafei would have never worked out, anyway. It's all over now. Be happy for Anju. Be there for her. Take care of Romani. Take care of the ranch._

Looking up at the eerie face of the moon once more, she added: _Don't die._

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><p>End Note: After going through and editing this, I realized Cremia's "I just won't think about it" line reminds me of something similar Scarlett O'Hara says in <em>Gone With the Wind. <em>I had... tried to read that book before I wrote this, actually, so maybe I got my inspiration there? Hmm... (Now that I think about it, I suppose those two are rather similar. Strong-willed women who take over their respective family businesses after something bad happens to their father. Wow. Maybe I should expand on that later...)


	2. Kafei's Predicament

Author's Note: Here's the second drabble! I worked really hard on this one. ^^ I rather like it, it's nice to see things through Kafei's eyes. Oh, and don't worry, not all of these will center around Anju/ Kafei. Theirs was just the first story I thought of, but there are _tons_ of characters to write for in Majora's Mask- one of the reasons I love the game so much. Anyway, I hope you like this one as much as I do. As per usual, reviews are awesome, flames are bad, constructive criticism is good.

This drabble was originally published on 7/22/2011.

Disclaimer: I still don't own the Legend of Zelda. Damn.

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><p>Kafei wasn't sure what had happened to him. He remembered a high-pitched laugh, and then… nothing.<p>

_Where am I?_ He thought as he woke up, putting one hand to his head. He was kind of dizzy, and the world spun violently around him when he straightened into a sitting position. _Goddess, what happened to…_ his inner monologue cut off when he caught sight of his left hand. It was as small as a child's.

Ignoring the vertigo that hit him, he quickly got to his feet. He surveyed his body, his heart quickening in horror the further he looked. _I'm… I'm a child!_

He examined his surroundings, discovering himself to be in front of the Milk Bar, Latte. It was still night, and the fire in torches placed periodically around the area crackled merrily, oblivious to Kafei's predicament.

_I need to get out of here! _He thought wildly, spinning around on his heel. He almost tripped over his two feet, unaccustomed to this new, unfamiliar body. Pushing himself off of the cobblestone street, he got unsteadily to his feet and walked more carefully to his destination.

_How much did I have to drink last night? _He questioned, attempting to walk in a straight line and failing. His beloved fiancée, Anju, would tease him about staying out so late at the Milk Bar, but she had no idea how much he talked about her there. As a matter of fact, that night, he had brought along his Sun Mask to show the others, proud of his handiwork and the woman who had agreed to marry him.

_Ah! The mask!_

He ran his fingers over the front of his tunic, feeling a hard, wooden surface over his chest. Letting out a sigh of relief, he retrieved the ornately carved mask and held it up for inspection. It looked none the worse for wear. _ These masks are said to be blessed by the giants… _ An idea occurred to him.

_I shall go to the Fairy's Shrine in North Clock Town. The fairy there can help me change from this… body._ Jubilant at the very thought, he changed his course and set off at a brisk pace in the direction of the Northern Gate, anxious to get there as soon as possible and dispel this evil curse.

Finally arriving in the northern section of Clock Town, Kafei stopped. He knew there was a thief wandering the town at night, and he had to be careful. He clutched the mask protectively to his chest, dread filling his heart at the terrible thought of it being stolen from him. _I will _not_ give up! I must forge on! For Anju!_ He began again, determined and heartened at the small fantasy in his head.

Just as he reached the slope leading to the Fairy's shrine, he was assaulted. A bald man wearing a plain white shirt and blue trousers attacked him from behind, shoving him roughly into the soil. Gasping in surprise, Kafei clenched his midget hand into a fist and swung with all his might. The man let out an "oof!", but at the same time, Kafei felt the mask ripped from his other hand. The man took that opportunity to run.

"No!" Kafei shouted after him, springing to his feet. "Get back here, you-"

The man snickered and skipped- no, he _pranced_- around the boy, his eyes full of mischievous glee. He paused in front of Kafei and taunted, "What will you do? You are but a child. And you cannot get married without this, correct?" His eyes glinted.

Kafei swore and lunged forward, determined to get his precious mask back. But it was no good. His reflexes were not as fast, and there was no way he could take on a grown man in this cursed form. Laughing again, the man pranced away, past the guard, and out into Termina Field.

Kafei watched him go bitterly, and then he whirled around and kicked the nearest thing- a fence post. This turned out not to be a good idea. Now he had a child's body, was without his mask, and his big toe was throbbing in pain. He swore again. It was a useless thing to do, but it made him feel better. After allowing himself a few minutes to calm down, he hatched a plan.

Moments later, Kafei left his parents' house, closing the door gently behind him. It had been difficult, but he was certain he had managed not to wake them. He looked at the Stock Pot Inn in front of him and felt a wave of guilt crash over his small body. _I am sorry, Anju, darling. But I must retrieve the mask before I can face you again. I hope you will understand._ Ashamed of himself, he placed the yellow Keaton mask over his youthful face, hiding the source of his dilemma from the world. Squaring his thin shoulders, he thought, _There is only one who can help me. I will go find him immediately._

Fifteen minutes later, Kafei arrived at the shady shop that would later become his haven. He paused, weighing the risks of telling his old friend against the possibility of the help he could provide. _No, I must. I must get that mask back!_ His mind decided, he raised his right arm and rapped his knuckles smartly against the wooden door.

"Hey, if you want to come in, you can just…" The portly owner of the Curiosity Shop halted his speech as he took in the young form in front of him. Then, abruptly, he roared with laughter.

"Kid, I don't know what you're doing here, but I don't serve people wearing masks. Now you can take off that mask, see, and-"

Obeying the man's order, Kafei removed the mask from his face. Again, the owner stopped talking and this time simply stared. "Kid… you look… really…"

Cutting him off smoothly, Kafei got right to the point. His telltale red eyes blazed with determination as he relayed his simple request: "I need a favor."


	3. Alone

Author's Note: I can't say I liked this one all that much. It was kind of annoying to write, and, well... I dunno. It just didn't really turn out well. But once I wrote it I had to get it out there, so here it is.

This drabble was originally published 7/24/2011.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

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><p>He was alone. Completely and utterly alone.<p>

His only friends, the Giants, had abandoned him. They had bellowed at him until they were hoarse and their faces were red, and then they had sent him on his way. And now, it was raining. No, it was _pouring._ His shabby clothes were thoroughly soaked and he was out in the open, in Termina Field, with no shelter. The sky was a threatening dark gray and the lush green grass beneath his feet was turning slick from moisture. Desperate to get out of the cold and wet, he scanned the vast meadow, praying there was _somewhere_ to take refuge, when- aha! He had found it!

Overjoyed, the Skull Kid rushed towards the enormous, uprooted tree trunk lying on its side about 50 feet from him. Once inside, he sat down on the cold, hard earth, wrapping his skinny arms around his knees. _It's so cold, _he thought miserably. _I wish they would come back. Why did they just leave me here, alone? _Anger flared within him but was immediately lost to a violent bout of shivering.

The steady downpour only increased as time went on. The Skull Kid, no longer sopping wet, but still suffering from chills, kept his head in his arms, refusing to look up. _I'll show them. I'll find new friends. Friends who won't leave me… They'll be sorry… They'll be sorry! _

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><p>End Note: I debated whether or not to end this one there or show him meeting Tatl and Tael, but I thought it'd be kind of boring to rewrite something that was already shown in-game and decided it'd be better to expand upon that anger he has over the Giants leaving. Oh, and also- reviews pl0x! DX<p> 


	4. Trust

Author's Note: Woo! Uh, not much to say about this one. I'm kind of tired, and, well... yeah.

Reviews are always welcome, constructive criticism is awesome, flames are bad- you get the drift.

This drabble was originally published on 7/28/2011.

Disclaimer: If I owned Zelda, Skyward Sword would have been released by now.

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><p>"Wh-what just happened? Everything has…"<p>

Tatl took in the familiar sight of South Clock Town… as it had been three days ago.

"…started over..."

She and the boy- trapped in the body of a Deku Scrub- rushed out of the shadow of the Clock Tower, looking skyward, to the moon and the face of the clock itself.

_Six a.m.,_ Tatl read. _The moon should have crushed us already, but it's… way… up there…_

Who was this boy? All he had done was get that blue ceramic instrument back- the Skull Kid had called it an ocarina- and suddenly he was capable of powerful magic? Who _was _he? _What_ was he?

"_We need more time!"_ she remembered shrieking into the heavens. At the goddess, Nayru. Had that done it?

_No, it didn't. It was only after he played that instrument that we came back… To this day…_

Suddenly whirling around to face the Deku Scrub, she stammered, "Wha… what are you, anyway? That song you played… That instrument…

"…That instrument!"

The Deku Scrub's eyes widened further at the excitement apparent in her voice. She supposed she would be surprised, too, if somebody who had snarked at her all the time shifted their mood so quickly. Nevertheless, she forged on. "Wait! That's it! Your instrument! The mask salesman said that if you got back the precious thing that was stolen from you, he could return you to normal! Did you completely forget or what?" she nagged him, reverting back to her earlier personality.

She swooped back underneath his green hat, hiding in his thick blond hair. _I wonder… He seems strong… Can he defeat the Skull Kid and help me get Tael back?_

She hadn't considered this at all until the Skull Kid had struck her brother. At that moment, a deep rage had boiled within the small fairy, and her feelings towards the Skull Kid had shifted. _"We can't possibly be friends after that!"_ she had screamed at the imp, absolutely horrified at what he had done to her brother. Up until that point, she had merely wanted to get her little brother and friend back, and then ditch this kid. She couldn't care less what happened to him, whether or not he remained a Deku Scrub. And she had been _positive_ the Skull Kid would not allow the moon to drop. Yeah, he'd stolen the mask from the mask salesman, but it was just a joke. A bad joke, maybe, but a joke. They would return the mask, and the affable salesman would laugh- more like chortle- and everybody would be okay.

She had been hopelessly naïve.

_I need his help. I need to trust him. If… if I don't do something, Skull Kid will really let the moon fall. He'll let it crush all these people. That can't happen. It just _can't.

The boy glided forward, his hat swinging around as he did so, making her a little dizzy. ("Would you stop that! I might puke in here, and then what would you do?") She was knocked forward as he shoved against the thick wooden door of the tower, his arms weak in his current state. _Is he strong enough? Can he do it? _Will_ he do it? _And then, Tatl thought of the last male she had trusted around her younger brother. The Skull Kid.

_Is it a bad idea to trust him?_


	5. Waiting

Author's Note: This one seemed so much better in my head. I wasn't... entirely sure what I wanted, but this wasn't it. Oh well. In explanation (cuz I think I might get hell for this story) I always found it rather... odd that Lulu never really seemed to care much for the welfare of her children. Yeah, she was concerned about them, but after Link came back as Mikau, she never mentions them again. It just struck me... as strange. I dunno. This might be a product of that, I guess. (as a side note, I need to stop writing such long A/Ns. I know this.)

This drabble was originally published on 7/31/2011.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, why in God's name would I be writing fanfiction?

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><p>Lulu stared blankly forward, her eyes trained unseeingly on something way back there, out at the horizon.<p>

_Mikau… Are you okay? You haven't come back yet…_

She bowed her head, eyes closing wearily. _They say the moon will fall soon, Mikau. What of our children? What will we do then? Will you even be back before it falls?_

_I'm so sorry. I did not mean to lose the eggs. They… the pirates…_ Grief struck the young Zora and her shoulders heaved with sobs. She was so exhausted. Ever since the Great Bay had fallen under hard times, Lulu had lost her voice- her beautiful singing voice, which the elders claimed sounded like her departed mother's. There had been feelings of tension within the members of the Indigo-Go's. Without Lulu as the lead singer, how could they possibly perform at the carnival in just three days' time?

Lulu was too heartbroken to even contemplate singing at this point. _I've failed as a mother, and the children haven't even been born yet! It's no wonder Mikau shouted at me the way he did. I wish he hadn't, but he was right. I _am _irresponsible. But, please, if you could come back… With the children… I swear I will make it up to you. I will be the best mother there ever could be. Please, Mikau, just come home. _She lifted her eyes again to the restless ocean. The once beautiful turquoise water had turned a dark, opaque gray weeks before, making swimming nigh impossible. Mikau's idea to infiltrate the pirate fortress was simply ludicrous. He could be killed. He _would_ be killed, if the female pirates found him. Lulu's heart sank in her chest, despair finally catching up to her thoughts and crippling her. If Mikau didn't return with the children, she would be all alone.

She didn't know which horrified her more: being without Mikau, or being without her children. If she lost the children… well, she and Mikau… could always make more. But if Mikau didn't return at all, not only would she lose her children, she would lose her lover as well. The Zora she loved the most in the entire land of Termina. She couldn't lose him. She would sacrifice anything for him. _Anything._

She winced and was instantly ashamed of herself for thinking such dark thoughts. _Don't think of these things, _her mind admonished. _Mikau will come back. He will come back with the children. And we… we will be happy together. We will be one happy family together. Stop worrying so. Everything will resolve itself._

This was what the famed Lulu of The Indigo-Go's told herself as she waited for her family to return to her.

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><p>End Note: Yeah, it was bad, but I figured I need to get out of Clock Town. Next one up will probably be about Link or... the Deku Princess. Oh, and as always, reviews are welcome! :3<p> 


	6. Navi

Author's Note: Well, I decided to write about Link. I totally had an idea going for this, but as soon as Tatl started talking... it disappeared. Stupid Tatl, wrecking my plans. D:

This drabble was originally published on 8/4/2011.

Disclaimer: Do I still have to put these at the beginning of each story at this point?

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><p>Link inhaled deeply, tasting the clean air of Termina Field. The mute child hero smiled to himself.<p>

And then was pummeled into the ground by his psychotic fairy guide, Tatl.

"Stop that! We don't have time for this nonsense! We need to find the Giants as fast as possible and help Tael out! Now get your head out of the clouds and let's go to the swamp!"

Link looked skyward and frowned at his companion. _Navi didn't talk this much…_ He thought, and then felt a stab of loneliness as he imagined Navi, the fairy from Kokiri Forest, out… wherever she was.

For what felt like the millionth time, he wondered, _Navi, where did you go?_

Tatl's voice faded into the background as he worried over his fairy. She had just up and left him, right after the battle with Ganon. Not a word was said- as soon as he had placed the Master Sword back in its pedestal, and stepped back… she had flown towards the stained-glass window, heading straight for the light, the sun itself… Until she had disappeared.

She had left him all alone.

But no. No matter what, he would _not_ give up his search for her. He had had to leave the Kokiri Forest- it reminded him of the events that had transpired… in the future? The past? It was all so confusing to him that eventually he had decided to stop thinking about it. He spent most of his days with Zelda, until it all became so dull that he felt he would tear his hair out. He had then, very respectfully, told the princess he was leaving.

"But why?" She had looked at him with her big blue eyes, her lips pushing themselves out into a pout. Link felt both guilty and annoyed. He certainly didn't want to leave the princess all by herself, but she hadn't lived through the future- what would have happened had he not defeated Ganondorf. She was safe. She had no idea what her future self was experiencing, perhaps at this very moment, in a different timeline. So he brushed off the dismay in those expressive eyes and had mounted Epona, heading for the deep forests, the ones the Great Deku Tree had always told the Kokiri to stay away from. He would not elaborate upon why, so the children had taken it upon themselves to create all types of different monsters for the place, until they weren't sure what was true and what was false.

Now, however, Link believed that it had something to do with the aging process. They had said if a Kokiri left the forest, they would die, but obviously that wasn't true. Several had left to see Hyrule Field- and presumably attend the party that had taken place at Lon Lon Ranch. The children had all seemed fine when they were wandering Hyrule Field, so Link assumed the stories they had been told were just that. Stories.

_Besides, _he smiled wryly, _I'm not even a Kokiri, so what difference does it make?_

"Are you even listening to me?"

Sighing, Link bobbed his head once. If he was honest, he had been a little afraid of Tatl, until the previous night- or, really, the night that would happen in two days- where she had stayed by his side. The young hero had convinced himself that when he finally confronted Skull Kid, Tatl would ditch him, just as Navi had done, and go off with her brother and megalomaniacal friend. But that hadn't happened.

As this thought crossed his mind, the edges of Link's mouth drooped into a frown. _Why?_

_She's probably just using me. Next time, when we have the Giants…_ But this concept died when he recalled the words Tatl had hurled at the Skull Kid: "Skull Kid, do you still think you're our friend after that?"

"Are you listening to me?"

The boy smiled slightly. Tatl certainly wasn't Navi, but she had a fire about her that reminded Link of his old traveling partner…

"This time, we fight together!"

_Will she fight with me when the time comes, just like Navi did?_

He could only have faith that she would.

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><p>End Note: Yeah, yeah, I know Tatl is <em>extremely<em> reluctant to fight with him at the end, but hey, Link's a little naive... Right?

Oh yeah, I may not be updating as regularly starting next week, as I have band camp from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The week after that will be slightly normal, but then the _next_ week, school starts, and I may not be able to update _at all_ during the fall. Sorry about that. :/


	7. Orphans

Author's Note: Lol, I'm late.

I apologize for that. I wasn't sure what to write about, and this one just sort of came to me. I'm not sure it's very coherent, but I promised you guys something, and I feel bad for not updating in so long, so I had to upload this one, like it or not. Anyway...

This drabble was originally published on 8/14/2011.

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><p>The leader of the Bombers Secret Society of Justice sat on the edge of the roof of the Milk Bar, his short legs swinging down into space as he stared hard at the moon.<p>

"_It's gonna drop soon."_

"_What are we gonna do when it drops?"_

"_Shut up! With us Bomber's here, it'll never drop!"_

The child frowned to himself. He hated yelling at the other boys- men, he called them, which, for some reason, the adults of Clock Town found hilarious when they overheard this- but, really, how stupid could they be? Shikashi had told him so. And he trusted Shikashi. Shikashi had watched several generations of Bombers go through Clock Town, and he had told the current leader once, "No one was as good as you are. No one."

Still, people were beginning to worry over them. And this worry led to the leader worrying over his men, too. That very morning, he had gone to find the newest initiate, a young boy with blond hair and a green hat, at the Stock Pot Inn, and the pretty young lady behind the counter had creased her forehead in concern and said hesitantly, "Where is your mother? Shouldn't you be leaving soon, little boy?" At the time he had just brushed it off, but…

_Where _is_ my mother?_

Many of the other kids in the Bombers this time around were orphans. The children had never discussed it, but the lad knew it instinctively- knew it the way he knew it was going to rain that day. Maybe that was why they had all congregated together, or why he was so devoted to Shikashi. Missing parents didn't seem to be a very big deal in Clock Town, though. The only person he could think of that had both sets of parents was the young man, son of the mayor and fiancé to the woman at the Stock Pot Inn- Kafei Dotour. Both his parents worked so much, though, that he may as well have been an orphan. Maybe that was why _he_ had been a part of the Bombers years ago…

Lost in his musings, the juvenile was startled when his subordinate, his number two, tapped him on his thin shoulder. Turning around, the boss puffed out his undeveloped chest importantly, trying to convey a sense of superiority.

"Yes? What is it?"

The other boy gazed at the moon with full, round eyes, not answering at first. The leader of the Bombers could see the monstrous moon reflected in those eyes, and he shuddered inwardly. _If that moon falls…_ He shook his head, attempting in vain to clear it of the thought. He watched as the other youth settled down beside him, straightening the blue bandana tied around his head.

Now sitting comfortably beside his commander, the second in command finally spoke. "It's going to fall."

He said it without any inflection in his voice, as casually as if he were discussing the weather, stating a simple fact. The red bandana-clad boy peered cautiously at his friend out of the corner of his eye, and then looked around to make sure they were alone, his miniscule body lifting up slightly off of the thatched roof in his quest.

Satisfied, he turned to the youngster beside him, whose shirt had a number 2 written on it in black. Looking him straight in the eyes, he confirmed, "Yes, it is."

The other boy only nodded his head, but his fragile shoulders drooped forward a little. The next couple moments were spent in silence. The leader was now examining the sky, the brightly twinkling stars, wondering if he would be able to see them for the moon the next night. He mentally went over all the other preparations he had done that day. He had known that panic would erupt in the small city the next day, and he had made sure to do everything he could before that time arrived. _What else do I need to do before…?_

"Should we… leave?"

The leader, Jim, glanced over at his friend, a little shocked at the suggestion. "Leave? _Leave?_ Are you kidding me? The Bombers Secret Society of Justice of Clock Town, _leave_? We _protect_ this town! We defend it to our last breaths! We shall never leave!"

The other child endured this hot blooded rant wordlessly, knowing that his boss would eventually run out of steam, and then he would be able to speak. This happened a few moments later, and he pressed: "But…"

"But what?"

"I know Shikashi is staying here…" He faltered at the look of rage that crossed the other's face. Mustering his courage once more, he continued. "I know he is, but that doesn't mean we can, too. Shikashi is a crazy old fool. If we stay, we'll be crushed to death!"

"Don't you think I know that?" The leader snapped impatiently, scowling. The second looked taken aback. His boss could be quite stupid at times. He was older than his second, yes, but he was more naïve. He had believed the Skull Kid was trustworthy and noble, and look at where that had gotten them.

"It's just…" Jim paused.

"What?" questioned the younger of the pair curiously. He didn't dare look at the boss. He sounded vulnerable, and that was rare in and of itself. The fact that he was _displaying _that weakness was even rarer, and if he were to point this out, he would surely be decked.

"It's just that, if Shikashi is gone… who will care for us?"

The two adolescents were silent a time, and then the leader continued, almost to himself, "Who will care _about_ us?"

"I'll care about you, chief. And so will the others," supplied a soft voice to his right. "And we'll take care of each other, the way we always have."

His chief grinned at him then, a feeling of joy filling his heart at the words. _We will take care of each other,_ he vowed, glaring at the moon through narrowed eyes. _If Shikashi wants to stay behind, well..._

He swallowed.

_Well, that's his decision. But us Bombers, we stick together. No matter if the moon's going to fall or if some chick tries to stand between us. We'll be friends- no, brothers- forever._

"We'll go to the ranch tomorrow, then. Tell the guys."

The second's head whipped up, a look of pure delight crossing his face before he sprang from his spot on the roof, his right hand snapping to his forehead in a salute.

"Yes, sir! Right away, sir!" And he took off down the steps and through the archway connecting East Clock Town to North Clock Town.

Jim watched him sprint away, looking once more at the eerie face of the moon before standing up himself and following his friend. _We'll always take care of each other,_ he thought, passing the hole in the stone wall leading to the Astral Observatory. He motioned to the youngest boy in the Society- no more than five or six- to join him, placing his arm around the child's shoulders. "C'mon. We're going."

The little boy with the sunny yellow bandana accepted this without question.

Sure, they were orphaned, in the literal sense of the word. They had no parents.

But that didn't mean they had no _family._

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><p>End Note: I'm not sure if anyone's ever written about the Bombers seriously. Thanks to <strong>The Caramel Koopa<strong> for informing me the leader, Jim, does in fact have a name. xP As such, I have edited the story accordingly.

Oh! This is a little random, but I'm thinking about maybe writing an AU of the Anju/ Kafei story (it would be multi-chaptered). I rarely read AU's (unless the author is incredibly talented at them), let alone _write_ them, but this idea is kind of stuck in my head. Think I should go for it?

Oh, and as always, reviews are welcome.


	8. Poisonous Thoughts

Author's Note: Hel_lo,_ angst!

Yeah, this one is kind of... yeah. I feel like she started wangsting a bit there, but I always wondered what was behind that calm demeanor of hers. Even when she's at the ranch and the world's ending, she sits there. And she talks about him.

She doesn't break down.

Maybe Anju's just a strong lady. Or maybe she just wears a particularly thick mask. And so...

This drabble originally published 9/4/2011.

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><p><em>He's not coming.<em>

_He doesn't love you._

Anju squeezed her cobalt eyes tightly shut, willing the voices to just _go away_. Ever since she had arrived at Romani Ranch, they had been taunting her, mocking her. She was sick of it. At one point she had even pressed her hands flat to her ears, trying to block out the insults.

But they were coming from inside, not outside.

_It's really your fault. You were too weak to stay and wait for him, weren't you? Even after he sent you a letter. You two were "soul mates". Is this how one treats their soul mate?_

_Weak._

_Coward._

_You deserve to die alone. You left him to die alone. What's he to do now?_

Finally, tears streamed down her face. She let them fall, not even bothering to wipe them away. What was the point? The world would end soon, anyway.

Sniffling a little to herself, she let the manifestation of her low self-esteem berate her once more. _Weak. It would have served you right if he had run off with Cremia._

_All you're good for is cleaning the inn, anyway. You're not built like Cremia. You can't compete with a girl like that._

_You can't compete with _any _girl._

_You need to stop thinking like this, _she told herself, inhaling shakily. Who wanted to die hating themself?

Anju almost lost the meager dinner she had eaten as another tremor rocked the earth. Long fingers splayed against the wooden wall, she held herself steady until the world righted itself and she could stand straight.

_Fifth one this hour._

_What time is it?_

She was the only one still remaining upstairs. The other women had elected to move downstairs. Anju had at first been confused as to why they would do such a thing, but then she had figured it was to avoid falling from such a great distance if the trembling earth caused the house to collapse.

_Wouldn't it crush them all if this floor fell on them, though?_

Anju shook her head to clear it again. _Such morbid thoughts. I need to sit._

The young innkeeper sat down primly on the bed, folding her hands in her lap. When they had arrived at the ranch, Cremia had briefly touched her shoulder. She had sensed it was… a sign of peace. The redhead's eyes had seemed to convey an unspoken _I'm sorry._

_What are you sorry for, Cremia? _Anju thought miserably. _You didn't take Kafei away from me._

Anju wasn't perfect, but she had considered herself to be a pretty good girlfriend. She had never complained about her looks or her appearances the way other girls in town did. And Kafei had seemed happy with her. Very happy. Why else would he have proposed to her?

Anju hadn't had a problem with her self-esteem before he had left. When Madam Aroma had said Kafei had not returned from the milk bar the night before, Anju had been concerned. She was afraid maybe somebody had taken him; perhaps he had gotten injured in some drunken brawl? But when several days had passed and still no contact was received from her disappeared fiancé, a creeping doubt had descended over her.

_Does he not want to get married?_

_Did I run him off?_

_Is he really with Cremia, as they say?_

She had to remain cheerful, though. Guests did not want a depressed hostess, and she certainly didn't want her mother to know how frightened she was. She became the emotionless girl. She wore a mask to keep out the visitors, and to keep out everybody else- her mother, her grandmother. Her best friend. When a nosy neighbor would inquire about Kafei, her forehead would pucker, but her voice was level as she informed them she knew naught of his whereabouts. She would swallow the fear that clenched at her belly as days slipped into weeks and the weeks then slipped into a month.

A full month.

Thinking back to the day before, when a torrential rain had descended upon the town, she sighed. In a way, it had been a catharsis for her. She had cried over the poor child in green, someone she didn't even know- a total stranger. This embarrassed her now, but at the same time, a wave of relief had swept over her. She had revealed to him things she hadn't told her own mother, and he had regarded her solemnly, seriously, his soft blue eyes understanding.

_He's so wise for his age,_ she had thought as he wordlessly offered her a handkerchief to blow her nose on. She had accepted it gladly. She felt lighter after that, as if a huge weight had been lifted.

But the nagging wouldn't stop…

_It doesn't matter now. _Wearily, the young woman closed her eyes. _Kafei, I love you._

_I wish we could have been together… for the end. But I suppose that doesn't matter now._

Anju slumped over on her side. The bed was soft, and she was so tired. The voices in her beleaguered mind had finally ceased, but she did not feel peace. Only a hollowness that would go away soon enough.

Exhaustion over her inability to sleep for the past several nights finally caught up to her, and the darkness advanced quickly toward her. Too stressed to resist, she simply accepted it, a tiny bit glad she wouldn't be awake for the end. After all, if she wasn't awake, she wasn't thinking about it.

And so, Anju, the innkeeper's sweet daughter slumbered as the world trembled and finally shuddered to a halt, all the while dreaming of boys with purple hair and ambiguous letters in scarlet envelopes.

* * *

><p>End Note: Was this enough to make up for the two and a half week absence? I hope so. If it's not, I'm sorry. I've had so much to do, it's insane. I procrastinated all day and barely did any homework. And I've stayed up so late xD (it's 12:15 A.M. as I type this). Anyway, I greatly appreciate reviews, and I hope this was good enough for you guys.<p> 


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